The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-09-09
AN INTER-TERRIToR1AL LEAGUE

The President of the United States.
in whose election the citizens of the
Territories have no voice, appoints, and
the Senate. in which they are without
representation, confirms the Territorial
governors. The Secretary, virtually
the Northumberland, derives his
Office in the same way. The judges of
the three district courts and the supreme
court of the Territories, outside of which
there is no jurisdiction, except the
limited Jurisdiction of probate courts
and justices of the peace, are appointed
in the same manner. The chief prose-
cutor and the marshal are creatures OF
the same distant power. In Arizona
ard Utah the governor has the privilege
of the absolute veto upon acts, it may
be the unanimous acts, of the Legis-
lature.
Not only are the chief executors and
judicial officers of the Territorial gov
ernments thrust upon q community
that has neither direct nor an indirect
voice in their selection, but Congress
claims the additional right of legislating
upon all subjects whatever for the Ter
ritories. And Congress contains in no
proper sense of the term representa-
tive of the unfortunate people for which
it thus presumes to enact laws. 1t is
true that each Territory has Delegate,
but he is denied vote.
What excuse can be found for such
obvious wrongs, in government whose
foundation is that all governments de-
rive their just powers from the consent
OF the governed2 Why is it that gov
ernors, prosecutors, judges, marshals
and secretaries are imported to hold
sway over an American Territory when
it requires both the sacrifice of the
principle of local selt-government and
the sacrifice OF reason, since it results
that men are sent who are always I'M
familiar with the conditions and laws of
the people they are fois@d upon, who
are often professional politicians and
place seekers, or men of unsuccessful
lives who turn to the poorly-paid
Offices for which they are named with
gratitude that events have raised them
above penuEy and mediocrity? How
many shiftless and impecunious men
have knocked around their native vii
lagos year after year waiting for some
thing to turn up, who have afterwards
lorded it over an American Territory,
to whose push, enterprise and intelli-
gence they must ever remain aliens?
1t is high time these wrongs were
righted. An error should not be wor-,
shipped as truth because of prescrip-
ton.
Well, what can be done? Let the
eight delegates to Congress unite in de-
handing of Congress the right of self
government for the Territories Let
them point out the inconsistency, the
disgrace of the present system. Let
them call attention to the fact that the
Territories are paying millions of dol
lars in taxes without representation
internal revenue and import taxes being
thrust upon US without one vote to ap-
prove or disapproYe. Let them ask of
Congress the right of electing all of
their own officers as judges. Having
secured that, let them ask Congress to
propose a constitutional amendment
granting to delegates the right to vote
and hold Office in the House.
They may then go on and ask for the
reasonable privilege of voting for the
President. And as further step they
may insist upon resolution by Con-
gTess, relinquishing its arrogant claim
to legislate for distant communities on
local matters.
And when all this is accomplished,
the Territories, you say, will be States
in everything except name and except
Senators.
And why not And why not
Senators, too, for that matter? Are
the States too free? Is their form of
government such an admitted failure
that it would never do to grant so
much liberty to the people OF the Terri
tories, or establish such q monstrous
form OF government among them? No
you reply, it is not that; it is that you
are not prepared for Statehood: the
State form of government is made for
more populous and more advanced com
munities.
Such a reason appears to be non
sense, when We see how e1celIently the
admirable State government works in
communities varying in population
from the $1,000 of Nevada or the 146, 900
of Delaware, to the 100000 of New
York, or when we reflect that the Blu k
of the inhabitants of the Territories are
old citizens from the States, and that
the percentage of the alienage is quite
as low as the national average.
The enthusiasm of the Territories
should be aroused over such prospect.
Gentlemen, work it up; form a league
and the intelligent and patriotic septi-
\ ment of the country will On with ,,o,, g.,